Tim Curry to appear in Rocky Horror Picture Show remake - Telegraph Tim Curry to appear in Rocky Horror Picture Show remake But he won’t be playing Dr Frank N Furter The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Little Nell, Tim Curry and Richard O'Brien Photo: Rex Curry shot to fame in 1975 after his lascivious performance as Dr Frank N Furter, the transvestite transsexual from Transylvania. It was his second time playing the role, having also starred in the 1973 stage production. The Rocky Horror Picture Show: (L-R) Richard O'Brien, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Tim Curry, Peter Hinwood This time the 69-year-old will be playing the part of the criminologist narrator, originally played by Charles Gray – who was best known as the Bond villain Blofeld. Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox has been cast as Dr Frank N Furter, while singer Adam Lambert will appear as Eddie, the motorcycle delivery driver who was played by Meat Loaf. The rest of the cast includes Nickelodeon's Victoria Justice as Janet (previously played by Susan Sarandon) and Disney's Ryan McCartan as Brad (previously played by Barry Bostwick).

Reeve Carney of Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark and the TV series Penny Dreadful will portray Riff Raff, a role formerly played by Richard O'Brien , who also wrote the music, lyrics and book for the musical. Tim Curry in Burke and Hare The stage-show sequel, Shock Treatment made its debut on the London stage - despite being written in 1979 - last year at the King's Head Theatre in Islington. Though Curry still regularly works as a voice artist, this will be his first on-screen performance since 2010, when he appeared in the film Burke and Hare and two episodes of Criminal Minds. He suffered a stroke in 2013 and has been wheelchair-bound ever since.

Top Galleries Behind the scenes with Tim Curry at 1974's 'Rocky Horror' stage show - LA Times Behind the scenes with Tim Curry at 1974's 'Rocky Horror' stage show 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' 20th Century Fox Frank N Furter (Tim Curry) plays a transvestite from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania in the cult-classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show." Frank N Furter (Tim Curry) plays a transvestite from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania in the cult-classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show." (20th Century Fox) Gregg Kilday Before there was the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" film, there was the "Rocky Horror" London stage production that spawn such indie fanfare and cult-cred that eventually the lead actor, Tim Curry, would cross the pond all the way to Los Angeles to head up the American stage debut. Times writer Gregg Kilday was there in 1974 and interviewed the rising star during a "relatively undress rehearsal." And the stories Curry shared about glitter rock pageantry and the backstage reactions it sometimes inspired, was fantastic.

This article was originally published on March 17, 1974. His pants legs rolled up as if to impersonate a pair of pedal pushers circa 1955, muscular calves straining again black, fishnet, tottering dottily on towering silver-sparkled heels, Tin Curry weaves unerringly though the calculated confusion of a relatively undress rehearsal. In his role as Frank N Furter, a batty mad scientist, half Auntie Mame, half Bela Lugosi, Curry pounces upon the two bewildered ingenues who have wandered onto the stage of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Clasping his hands with delight, he gives them the twice over lightly, spending rather more time on boy-Brad than girl-Janet, before exclaiming with theatrical abandon, “It’s not often we receive visitors here— let alone show them any hospitality!” Whereupon — has Frank, just uttered the magic word? — Rocky Horror himself, a sort of I-was-a-monster-teen-ager, jolts to life up in the rafters, the accompanying piano breaks into a 50s rocker and the rehearsal moves into high gear.

For just a moment as Tim Curry changes into street clothes, exchanging his high heels for clogs, there remains the possibility that the flaming camp he displays on stage is not that much of an act. “You know,” he advises the photographer who has just requested he smile, “a photographer in London once told me to say Lesbian,” and as he completes the sentence, he segues into a grin, a trick that apparently works only if your accent or your armature is of British manufacture. But the grin quickly recedes into a far less disarming smile and by the time Curry finds himself seated in a booth at Musso & Frank’s what outrageousness he brings to the performance has given way to the simple, amused bewilderment of a first-time visitor to Los Angeles. “Poor Al Pacino got his,” he fatalistically notes, as he tells of watching the billboard outside his room in the Chateau Marmont while a weather ad for “Serpico” gave way to a gleaming advertisement for “The Great Gatsby” a sobering reminder of just how fickle the American public can be.

A timely lesson, considering that by Thursday night when “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” officially opens at the Roxy Theater on Sunset for an open-ended run before moving on to Broadway, Curry will have an American audience of his own with which to contend. The 27-year-old-actor admits that it was not with-out a few trepidations that he undertook the leading role in “The Rocky Horror Show” some months ago in London. “But,” he quickly adds, “I just thought it was such a good part, people would know you were acting. I mean, obviously, if you brought it off, you brought it off as an actor and not as a rent-a-freak.” “And, in fact, I’ve done a lot of television as a result of ‘Rocky Horror.’ For the last four months, I’ve done television during the day. I just finished a BBC series on Napoleon in which I appear as Josephine’s son and get to age from 17 to 30” — a proper enough counterpart to the less easily described character Curry plays by night. “He’s kind of an extremist, Frank” Curry rather affectionately explains.

“His life is devoted to… extremity.” “He wants to create the perfect man, though I suspect that’s only one of his obsessions. He does say that it’s his favorite obsession, so there must have been others that have been discarded along the way.” “He says he’s a transvestite transexual, whatever that means. I don’t play him as a transexual. But he’s a fairly complex guy. He just takes anything he can get. He’s not fussy, really. Though I think he’s something of a wham-bam-thank-you-mam.” Franks’ proclivities aside, and despite its drag-rock-camp connotations, “The Rocky Horror Show” was voted best musical in 1973 by the London drama critics, a selection that either attests to English imperturbability or reflects “Rocky Horror’s” place in the tradition of Christmas pantomime and glitter rock. As Curry explains, the show grew out of its author’s, Richard O’Brien’s, “obsession with naivete. “He’s always liked teen-age culture, really. He sort of collects Marvel Comics.

He likes plots and narratives — you know — honest, entertainment.” Staged by Jim Sharman, the show was originally booked for a four-week run upstairs at the Royal Court Theater. Immediately attracting “a smart, hip audience,” the run sold out without a hitch, except for the final night, when, with such luminaries as Mick and Bianca Jagger and Elliott Gould waiting in the audience, it was necessary to candy the show. “Rocky couldn’t go on. You see, we use a lot of glitter in the show and Rocky wears more glitter than anyone else, really.” “— I don’t know if I should be telling you this,” Curry interrupts himself demurely.— “Well, Rocky got some glitter down his trunks and it set up an irritation. When we arrived at the theater, he was standing in the shower and the show couldn’t go on.” The irritation salved, the show did, however, move to Kings Road to an abandoned cinema where it has been playing for some months now, spawning both an American and an Australian company.

For Curry, the son of a Methodist minister who began his study of the theater at the University of Birmingham, it is all one of those odd turns of fate in a career which he had originally expected would build quite slowly through a long apprenticeship with an English repertory company. But, denied admission to the Birmingham Repertory Theater because he was not a member of the Actor’s Equity, Curry was forced instead to strike out for London where late in 1968, he joined the cast of “Hair.” “I couldn’t make up my mind whether to be a singer or an actor,” he says. “Although in ‘Hair’ they never let me sing that much, because the score was fairly high and I didn’t have a high enough voice.” “I was offered things, recording contracts, offered to join groups. But as I thought about it, I got rather snippy. No, no, no, I decided, I want to be an actor.” “I treated ‘Hair’ like a drama school. You were always able to roebuck and rewrite your part. You built up your physical presence.

And because everyone was competing for attention, you learned quite quickly to make your presence felt.” After 15 months with the show, Curry had graduated to the part of Woof, the boy whose hear belongs only to Jagger — “He was really the most sympathetic character, the nicest to play” — and he was ready to extricate himself from the tribe.” Fortuitously, he was offered a part, that of a hippie, in a Royal Shakespeare production of David Mercer’s “After Taggerty.” Since the “Hair” actors often found themselves faced with such typecasting, Curry accepted the part but soon moved on to the Royal Court and, later, the Glasgow Civic Repertory, where he was allowed a greater variety of roles. “None of it was planned, really. I just knew I had to take risks. Life is like acting in that way. You’ve got to take risks. If you take big risks, it’s then up to you whether or not you pull it off.” “Eventually, I’d like to go back to where I left off.

Back to the Royal Court or perhaps to the new National Theater under Peter Hall.” As Curry speaks, a huge burst of thunder shakes the restaurant, rattling the plates and bringing a halt to the conversation. “Another omen?” Curry asks. “You know, when we first opened in the Royal Court it was on a night like this. Lots of thunder and lightning. It worked wonderfully for the play. Either the Lord was on our side” — and then the son of the Methodist minister pauses for just an instant— “or else he was terribly displeased.” Let's do the "Time Warp" again: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ 10 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ By Danny Gallagher October 22, 2012 4:50 PM REDDIT 20th Century Fox Few cult films have been able to define the term as clearly as 1975’s Halloween classic ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’ Decades after its release, toilet-paper toting fans still show up week after week at midnight screenings across the globe dressed in fishnet stockings and full makeup.

They not only watch the same movie they’ve seen hundreds of times, they also act it out and throw props at the screen. The only way it could be more of a cult is if some kind of live goat sacrifice was involved. Of course, the only thing stranger than its fans, the stage musical and the film itself (which is pretty damn strange for a movie about a singing alien transvestite) is its storied history. Here are some things you might not know about ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’ 1. Some big celebrities wanted to be in the movie Frank Micelotta, Getty Images/20th Century Fox Try not to imagine what it would look like if these two switched heads… The ‘Rocky’ phenomenon got its start on the London stage scene in 1973 as ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ and quickly became one of the hot tickets in town. It ran in several theaters through the rest of the 1970s and eventually moved stateside where it found an audience at Los Angeles’ famed Roxy Theatre. Naturally, such success prompted talk of bringing the musical to the big screen and some very big names wanted to inhabit the quirky roles.

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger expressed an interest in playing the part of cross-dressing alien Dr. Frank N. Furter but the producers passed so they could stick with Tim Curry, the actor who defined the role in both the British and American theatrical productions. Steve Martin also auditioned to play the role of Brad, a part that eventually went to actor Barry Boswick. The actor the crew really wanted to appear in the film was horror movie legend Vincent Price who actually saw the play on its opening night, according to ‘Rocky Horror’ creator Richard O’Brien . Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts prevented him from accepting and the role of the narrator went to actor Charles Gray. 2. Meatloaf walked out of the American stage production when he first saw Tim Curry in his stage costume 20th Century Fox One of the bigger names on the bill (we mean by celebrity AND weight) was Meatloaf, who played Eddie and Dr. Scott in the American stage version. He took the part based on his singing ability without really reading the script or knowing what he was getting into. One he saw what the costume department had in store for the cast, he started to get cold feet.

According to an interview he gave to VH1 to celebrate one of the film’s many anniversaries , the cast only rehearsed the songs before they even saw the script. He didn’t realize what he was getting into until Tim Curry showed up to a rehearsal in his full costume while singing the song ‘Sweet Transvestite.’ Meatloaf said he was so shocked that he walked out of the theater in the middle of the production and even tried running away from the theater, only to get a ticket for jaywalking. Eventually, actor Graham Jarvis, who played the Narrator in the stage version, talked him into staying. Unfortunately, Meatloaf also got cold feet when he realized he had to perform in a full pair of thigh high fishnets. He realized it was worth sticking around when he saw the huge laughs he was getting during Dr. Scott’s “revealing” scene. 3. Russell Crowe once appeared in an Australian stage version Subscribe to TheFW on Now that we know he can sing, does this mean we’ll finally get a musical remake of ‘Mystery, Alaska’? The success of the theatrical version of ‘Rocky’ went global after its run in London and Los Angeles.

Screenings and fan clubs not only popped up in major metropolitan areas but local productions started appearing as well. Recently, some rare footage revealed a young Russell Crowe, the Oscar winning star of ‘Gladiator’ and other macho fare, performing in ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ in Australia in the dual roles of Eddie and Dr. Scott. Speaking of which… 4. Meatloaf wanted to play Dr. Scott and Eddie in the movie Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images The stage version featured one actor playing two roles, Dr. Scott and Eddie, as a bit of dramatic irony for the audience. So when the film version was announced and Meatloaf was brought on board, he got excited because he thought he would play both parts. Instead, the role of the wheelchair bound Dr. Scott went to Jonathan Adams. Meatloaf said in a recent interview , “I said you’re making a huge mistake and I still think they did, even though the actor was fine. The way it was in the play was that Eddie and Dr. Scott really looked alike, so you knew it was his nephew and I was a really good Dr. Scott.” 5.

The skeleton in the coffin clock was real Subscribe to TheFW on Who knew Kate Moss was in the original ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’? High-priced buyers of movie memorabilia often strive for authenticity, but one prop from the set of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ has an extra bit of realism. The “coffin clock” featured during the song ‘Time Warp’ went up for sale at a Sotheby’s auction in 2002 where a buyer purchased it for 35,000 pounds . The auction house said the skeleton in the morbid antique clock was also a real human skeleton. Rumor has it that it was the bones of the secretary for the Countess of Rosslyn. The two were also lovers and legend has it that she always wanted him close by so she had his remains preserved in the special casket timepiece. 6. You can stay in Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s castle 20th Century Fox The old-timey castle that was used for most of the principal shooting has a long history in horror films. Oakley Court in England was used for several of the Hammer horror films as a large, foreboding castle to complete its dark, gothic settings.

According to the documentary ‘The Rocky Horror Double Feature Video Show,’ the film’s producers knew Oakley would make the perfect setting for the film the instant they saw it. The interior also made for a perfect place to film since the previous owners had removed some of the lead from the roof causing the interior to deteriorate. It was actually scheduled for demolition at some point but a preservation order kept the wrecking ball at bay. These days, it’s a world class hotel . 7. The actor who played Rocky does not speak or sing his own lines 20th Century Fox This image should make you even more grateful that Meatloaf only got one part in the movie… The filmmakers hired model Peter Hinwood to play Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s “creation” clearly for his looks because he could not sing a single note on key. According to the book “Rocky Horror: From Concept to Cult,” his entire musical performance had to be dubbed over by singer Trevor White while Hinwood mouthed the words to the songs on set. Director Jim Sharman also wasn’t very pleased with Hinwood’s speaking voice either so they had White dub his dialogue as well.

Not many people knew his entire performance had been dubbed until it was confirmed in the book ‘Concept to Cult’ in 2002. 8. Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s creation doesn’t have a belly button 20th Century Fox Less eagle-eyed or curious viewer may not have noticed this tiny but important detail: the makeup department created a plug that fit over Peter Hinwood’s belly button to hide it from view during filming. It’s an important distinction for the story — since Rocky was created by Dr. Frank-N-Furter completely from scratch, that means he didn’t have an umbilical cord and therefore shouldn’t have a belly button. That kind of technical detail really stands out in a movie where people break into song and dance for absolutely no reason. 9. The motorcycle scene saw some serious accidents 20th Century Fox One of the film’s more memorable scenes features Eddie, played by Meatloaf, crashing into the Doctor’s laboratory through a block of ice on a military grade motorcycle. The scene required a stuntman and some clever grip work to make it seem like Meatloaf was on the bike. According to an interview with the singer , preparations for the scene saw several accidents on the set.

Meatloaf’s stuntman drove the motorcycle through the scene including up and down several steep ramps. The bike fell off the top tier and landed upside down pinning the stuntman underneath it. Meatloaf said he ran over and somehow mustered enough strength to lift the heavy bike just enough to move it off of him. The stuntman did not move for sometime but eventually opened his eyes and told everyone he was OK. He later told Meatloaf that it was an old stuntman trick to make sure he wasn’t suffering any pain or serious injuries before moving. They also needed to get shots of Meatloaf riding the bike up and down the ramps, so the crew rigged a wheelchair that would hold a set of handlebars and a motorcycle windshield in front of a camera as the crew pulled it up and down the steps. Unfortunately, as they were in the middle of shooting, the wheelchair hit a ridge at the bottom of the steps sending Meatloaf flying towards the floor and shattering both the camera and the windshield. Meatloaf’s stuntman tried to catch him in the process but the ramp caught the stuntman’s leg and caused a serious fracture. Meatloaf also suffered a deep cut on his head. 10.

It holds the record for the longest theatrical film release Kevin Winter, Getty Images ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ may have been an infamous bomb when it hit theaters in 1975, but it more than made up for its initial losses by becoming a midnight movie standard . Lou Adler, the film’s executive producer, noticed that several small but dedicated groups of fans had been attending some late night shows on a regular basis. So he organized a screening in New York City with virtually no advertising. The word of mouth turned the screenings into sold out shows and it wasn’t long before the film became a cult classic. Audiences have danced along to ‘The Time Warp’ in theaters across the country for the last 37 years with no signs of stopping. As for the film’s surprise success, the cast and crew would probably quote Magenta’s “ We’re all lucky” speech. Tim Curry Returns To ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ Fox TV Remake | Deadline TCA's Best Moments: David Lynch, 'Bones,' 'Harlots' & Of Course Donald Trump The Rocky Horror Picture Show follows sweethearts Janet Weiss (Victoria Justice) and Brad Majors (Ryan McCartan), who stumble upon the bizarre abode of Dr.

Frank-N-Furter (Cox), a sexually ambiguous, flirtatious alien mad scientist. She is holding an annual Transylvanian science convention to showcase the birth of “Rocky Horror” – a fit, attractive man (Staz Nair) created solely to fulfill Frank’s desires. A prolific stage actor, Curry appeared in English productions such as Threepenny Opera, Love For Love and Rivals and had a starring role in Pirates of Penzance. He earned his first Tony nom for his role as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Broadway’s Amadeus and 12 years later scored another for My Favorite Year. His TV credits include guest-starring roles on Hot in Cleveland, Criminal Minds and Psych. On film, Curry appeared in Annie, Clue, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Charlie’s Angels and Scary Movie 2. Live on Stage Awards The Rocky Horror Show The musical that started a 40-year nonstop cultural phenomenon is back where it is meant to be seen – live on stage! The Rocky Horror Show is a sexy, saucy, tongue-in-cheek musical that is truly iconic with its irresistible hum-along score and cast of quirky characters.

It tells the story of a newly engaged couple, Brad and Janet, getting caught in a storm and seeking refuge at the home of a madcap transvestite scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who unveils his latest creation - a muscle man named Rocky Horror. Outrageous when it first burst onto the London scene forty years ago The Rocky Horror Show retains its power to thrill, entertain and provoke audiences around the world.

Performance Dates Oct 16, 2014 7:30 pm Oct 17, 2014 7:30 pm Oct 18, 2014 7:30 pm Oct 23, 2014 7:30 pm Oct 24, 2014 7:30 pm Oct 25, 2014 7:30 pm Oct 30, 2014 7:30 pm Oct 31, 2014 7:30 pm Nov 01, 2014 2:00 pm Nov 01, 2014 7:30 pm Nov 06, 2014 7:30 pm Nov 07, 2014 7:30 pm Nov 08, 2014 2:00 pm Nov 08, 2014 7:30 pm Cast & Crew Drammy Award - Best Costume Design0 Darrin J.

Pufall Drammy Award - Best Pit Ensemble0 Live On Stage Portland Area Musical Theater Award - Outstanding Sound Designer0 Rory Breshears Portland Area Musical Theater Award - Outstanding Playbill Cover Design0 Jim Parker Drammy Award - Best Supporting Actor in a Musical0 Eric Little Portland Area Musical Theater Award - Outstanding Male Actor in a Lead Role0 Nartan Woods Portland Area Musical Theater Award - Outstanding Musical Director0 Darcy White Portland Area Musical Theater Award - Outstanding Costume Designer0 Darrin J. Pufall Drammy Award - Best Music Direction0 Darcy White Drammy Award - Best Director of a Musical0 John Oules Drammy Award - Best Ensemble in a Musical0 Live On Stage Drammy Award - Outstanding Production of a Musical0 Live On Stage Mitchell Jarvis is a newfangled Frank ‘N’ Furter in Studio Theatre’s ‘Rocky Horror Show’ - The Washington Post Mitchell Jarvis is a newfangled Frank ‘N’ Furter in Studio Theatre’s ‘Rocky Horror Show’ The inside track on Washington politics. Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we’ll e-mail you free updates as they’re published.

You’ll receive free e-mail news updates each time a new story is published. You’re all set! By Peter Marks By Peter Marks August 8, 2013 Follow @petermarksdrama Watching a performance by Mitchell Jarvis, you’re struck by the thought that if he showed up at your door, you’d rush to lock away the silverware, the hard liquor and your daughter. In a series of TV commercials for Coors’s Keystone Light , he played Keith Stone, a sleazy outdoorsman with a rifle and a six-pack and a smooth come-on line for the ladies. In Broadway’s “Rock of Ages,” he was the original Lonny, a manager of the musical’s scuzzy club on the Sunset Strip, the Bourbon Room. And in the tickling Web series “ It Could Be Worse ,” which he and actor-friend Wesley Taylor shot and recently posted online, he portrays Sam Atkinson, an actors’ agent far more skilled at scoring coke than roles for his clients. So it seems perfectly in keeping with his outre résuméthat this 35-year-old New York actor of intense demeanor and piercing gaze would turn up as Dr.

Frank ’N’ Furter, the cheap-thrill-seeking, gender-bending girly-man of “ The Rocky Horror Show .” But in the rollicking revival of the 1973 musical — which just announced a second extension at Studio Theatre, to Aug. 17 — Jarvis is not of a mind to create a carbon copy of what fans have seen before. His Frank ’N’ Furter is no receptacle of kitsch, the sort of stylishly cartoon-like figure Tim Curry embodied in the 1975 movie “ The Rocky Horror Picture Show ,” which has inspired generations of devotees to turn up costumed like him at midnight art-house showings. Jarvis had a notion for this “Rocky Horror,” directed by Alan Paul and Keith Alan Baker, of a darker portrait of a man taking too big a bite out of life, a nonconformist who lives on the edge and pays the ultimate price for it. “He’s an ugly guy in drag,” Jarvis says, sitting one afternoon last month in a coffee emporium a block from the theater on 14th Street NW. “I view him as equal parts male and female — a mad scientist and a cult figure.

Some superfans will say, ‘Oh, it’s just about being a freak.’ No. He’s Dionysus. He’s living to excess, so much so that he must die.” Mitchell Jarvis as Frank N. Furter in Richard O'Brien's “The Rocky Horror Show.” (Igor Dmitry/Igor Dmitry) Despite the character’s glam-punk getup, Jarvis makes no effort to turn Frank ’N’ Furter into the glamorpuss king of the musical’s decadent castle, where in the lab he invents the boy toy of his dreams (William Hayes) and in the bedroom ravishes the clean-cut B-movie couple (Tim Rogan and Jessica Thorne) who chance upon his doorstep one stormy night. It is indeed a nervy portrayal, stripped of many of the campy mannerisms for which Frank ’N’ Furter is known. In fact, Jarvis says, he tussled with his directors over his wish that audiences not shout out lyrics, a tradition that started with the movie and has been adopted by many stage productions since.

Getting to do it his way was partly why he decided to leave New York for the summer and accept the job in Studio’s 2ndStage program, which often uses actors who are not yet members of Equity, the actors’ union. “I don’t know if I would have taken the part,” says Taylor, who met Jarvis in “Rock of Ages” and most recently had a recurring role as one of the singer-dancers on NBC’s “Smash.” “But Mitch will always choose to do something that excites him. He wanted to play this part, and this was his opportunity to do it.” Born in California and raised in Minnesota, Jarvis had a taste of performing from an early age, singing in a church choir and performing with his parents and sisters as the Jarvis Family, which toured churches singing contemporary Christian music. A break with his religious upbringing and an interest in musical theater brought him to the acting program at Carnegie Mellon University. He moved to New York following graduation, and after years of the usual actor’s struggle —“I even came to D.C for six weeks to wrap Christmas lights around trees” — he landed the part in the off-Broadway mounting of “Rock of Ages,” which moved to Broadway in 2009.

That job led to the friendship with Taylor and their collaboration on one of the most intriguing projects in which Jarvis has been involved: the development of the 15 webisodes of “It Could Be Worse.” Produced on a shoestring budget and reliant on the unpaid contributions of a gallery of Broadway actors — from well-known players such as Audra McDonald to emerging stars such as Adam Chanler-Berat (“Next to Normal”) — “It Could Be Worse” tells in seven-to-10-minute installments the story of Taylor’s Jacob Gordon. He’s a struggling stage actor, clung to by whiny boyfriend Phillip Klein (the pitch-perfect Gideon Glick) and cast in a musical with the unpredictable, hyper-dramatic Veronica Bailey (a priceless Alison Fraser). The satirical show is what “Smash,” the disappointing backstage-on-Broadway series, might have been, had it found a looser and sharper-witted footing. Written by the two creators and directed by Jarvis, the series developed a cult following of its own, and Taylor says fans lobby them for a second season all the time.

(There might be one, if they can find someone to pay for it.) “Ever since college, I’ve had this fantasy of making movies with my friends,” Jarvis says, adding that Taylor proved a whiz at, among other things, the art of persuasion: “He is so gifted at getting people to do things for him for free.” Clearly, the series is not out of either of their systems — especially not Jarvis’s. “Because he’s like a little kid at a candy shop, he can be artistically fulfilled on that other side of the camera,” Taylor says of Jarvis. “ ‘It Could Be Worse’ totally consumed me, and after we wrapped, I was able to reconnect with my boyfriend. But Mitch called a week later — with all of these ideas for Season 2.” The opportunities, at last, are multiplying for Jarvis: He had to take a few days’ leave from “Rocky Horror” to shoot a movie comedy, “Opening Night,” in Los Angeles with Anthony Rapp and Cheyenne Jackson. If the world is small, the world of showbiz is microscopic: “Opening Night’s” director happens to be Jack Henry Robbins.

His mother is Susan Sarandon, and, yes, she played the pure-as-snow Janet way back when in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The Rocky Horror Show BBC - Norfolk - Entertainment - Interview: David Bedella You are in: Norfolk > Entertainment > Arts, Film & Culture > Theatre & Dance > Interview: David Bedella David Bedella Interview: David Bedella By Martin Barber Award-winning actor David Bedella stared as Frank 'N' Furter in the The Rocky Horror Show UK tour '07. Watch our webTV interview with the corset-clad star as he talks about a life in heels, an Olivier award and walking the corridors of Holby City. The Rocky Horror Show is a cult phenomenon, much loved around the world and regarded with fondness as the biggest, baddest, rock 'n roll musical ever. More than 30 years after the show first took to the stage, the 2007 tour returned to creator Richard O'Brien's original script and starred award-winning West End and Broadway star David Bedella as the scandalous Frank 'N' Furter.

Help playing audio/video In 2004 David won an Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance as Satan/Warm Up Man in the controversial Jerry Springer - The Opera. He's also well-known in the UK for his role of plastic surgeon Carlos Fashola in the BBC's Holby City. Martin Barber asked David Bedella how he felt about being given the chance to play Frank 'N' Furtur. DB: I've been told by non-musical actors they consider Frank to be the Hamlet of the musical theatre world. As a straight actor [not working in musical theatre] you always want to get your hands on Hamlet to say 'I'm one of the greats. I'm good enough to do this role' and in a way it does appear so with Frank 'N' Furter. He has such a huge range of emotions. You get to be everything from delightfully comic and camp to profound and heart-wrenching. You're singing rock 'n roll at the top of your lungs – everything about it is a challenge, it's huge. Frank 'N' Furter, a sweet transvestite MB: How have your stamped your own mark onto the role?

DB: The most important thing was to push Tim Curry from my head, which was the hardest thing to do when somebody creates a role which has taken the world the way his has. We decided to make him [Frank] American, which is a great choice by our director Christopher Luscombe, as almost immediately what started to come then was me – my personality, my quirks and Tim Curry was sort of left behind. Yet, at the same time, you always want to tip your hat to the person who made it so brilliant in the first place. So I think it's a really nice mix. MB: You've also starred in Jerry Springer - The Opera, another show with a cult following. What takes a show from being a piece of musical theatre and elevates it to iconic status? DB: Intelligence. There is tremendous intelligence with Jerry Springer. The score is brilliantly written and matches up to just about any classical piece, in addition to the Broadway and rock genres. The final layer that goes on it is to have performers willing to take it to the extreme – which I think is one of things I do best. I take material and see just how far it can go, how far can we push the limits.

MB: Why do you think Rocky Horror has stood the test of time and still manages to play packed houses when it tours? DB: I think one of the big things is the amount of release that it allows the audience. People who ordinarily have what they may think are mundane jobs are given the opportunity to come into the theatre and really let their hair down. You're encouraged to be as outrageous and as flamboyant as possible. All barriers are lifted and people have such a brilliant time. MB: You're no stranger to playing a doctor, though Doctor Frank 'N' Furter is quite a way from Doctor Fashola in Holby City. DB: I learned a lot on Holby. I can do a brilliant suture! I suppose I have a real fondness now for the medical profession. David Bedella as Doctor Carlos Fashola I had a great time on Holby. The nicest thing is there are so many Holby viewers in the UK, so when I come to all of the different towns [on the tour] I'm stopped every three feet on the street with 'Oh, you're Doctor Carlos' – and that's great fun. The recognition is really nice.

MB: How do you cope with the audience taking almost the part of an additional cast member in Rocky Horror? DB: It's a bit like a roller coaster. It's an integral part of the show, it’s what makes it great fun – but it can also be horrific, particularly when people drink too much. You have to put them in their place from time to time, but in truth, the majority love the participation. When you get it going it can be like a tennis match, it can really soar and that's a great experience when it happens. MB: For the Rocky virgins, do you really have to dress up to enjoy this show? DB: People discover when they are dressed as some character they can let go in a way that they don't normally experience at a theatrical event. There aren't that many out there that encourage you to do it – so why not. But if it's not your style and you just want to come and see the piece - this is one of the few productions where you can come as you are, see this theatrical piece and appreciate it.

Tim Curry Will Appear in FOX's Rocky Horror Picture Show SHARE Tim Curry will play the Narrator of FOX’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show Emmy Award winner and creator of the original “Dr. Frank-N-Furter,” Tim Curry, will return to the world he made famous by starring as the Criminologist Narrator (played by Charles Gray, pictured above, in the original film) in FOX ‘s The Rocky Horror Picture Show TV event this fall. Curry originated the breakout “Dr. Frank-N-Furter” role in the 1973 London stage production of “The Rocky Horror Show,” returning to play the character in the Lou Adler-executive-produced film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which premiered September 26, 1975, and has been in theatrical distribution longer than any other film in history. “I am very happy and excited to be a part of this new event,” said Curry. Curry joins previously-announced cast members Laverne Cox (Dr.

Frank-N-Furter, “Orange Is the New Black”), Victoria Justice (Janet, “Victorious”), Ryan McCartan (Brad, “Liv & Maddie,” “Heathers: the Musical”), Adam Lambert (Eddie, “Glee”), Reeve Carney (Riff Raff, “Penny Dreadful,” “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark”) and Staz Nair (Rocky, “Game of Thrones”). The Rocky Horror Picture Show follows sweethearts Janet (Justice) and Brad (McCartan), who stumble upon Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s (Cox) bizarre abode. Frank-N-Furter, a sexually ambiguous, flirtatious alien mad-scientist – with the help of his faithful servants Riff Raff (Carney) and Magenta – is holding an annual, Transylvanian science convention to showcase the birth of “Rocky Horror” (Nair) – a fit, attractive man created solely to fulfill Frank’s desires.

Executive-produced by Lou Adler (Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee), Gail Berman (TV, film and Broadway producer) and Kenny Ortega (“High School Musical” franchise, “This Is It,” “Descendants,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Newsies”), The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a reimagining of the cult classic, which is celebrating 40 years of theatrical distribution – longer than any other film in history. ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’: New trailer teases Tim Curry, audience callbacks – EW.com The Rocky Horror Picture Show via Facebook The antici…pation for Fox’s reimagining of The Rocky Horror Picture Show is mounting. In celebration of Comic-Con on Wednesday, Fox unveiled a new trailer for this Halloween’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show reboot starring Laverne Cox as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The promo, which shows more new footage than any previous trailer , includes a first glimpse of Tim Curry, the original Frank-N-Furter on stage and in the cult film, as the Criminologist. Rocky Horror‘s infamous audience callbacks also feature in the new trailer, perhaps hinting at a possible interactive element to the television event.

Director Kenny Ortega (Descendents) will premiere even more footage at Wednesday night’s Rocky Horror Picture Show Comic-Con panel, along with stars Victoria Justice (Janet), Ryan McCartan (Brad), Christina Millian (Magenta) and Reeve Carney (Riff-Raff). See Cox and Curry in action in the new trailer below, and get ready to do the Time Warp again when The Rocky Horror Picture Show airs in October on Fox.

Question: In what stage show does Frank N Furter appear?
Answer: The Rocky Horror Picture Show